


Speed's Perception

by Sandaun



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-27 00:05:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1707539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandaun/pseuds/Sandaun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short one-shot, set after breaking Erik out of the Pentagon and before getting on the plane.  Quicksilver's abilities don't just make him fast, but perceptive, and he has a question about Charles and Erik.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speed's Perception

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheGreatCatsby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/gifts).



> My first fanfic in a long, long time. I am rusty. Thanks to my dear friend TheGreatCatsby for the prompt and for getting me to write fanfic once again - you've encouraged me to procrastinate in so many ways for so many years, I appreciate that an ocean doesn't halt this part of our friendship.

“Are you two in love?”

Peter is gone for a moment and the next thing Erik knows, the kid is standing on top of the car and holding a magnifying glass up to the sky.  “That’s weird…”  Peter continues, before Erik finally has a chance to respond.  “What?”

“You know, you and Mr. Angry.  Oh.  Oh!  Sorry-” and Peter is suddenly in front of Erik, giving his best, reassuring grin with open hands “-I don’t judge.   I don’t care if you are or not, I was just wondering.”

“No!  Of course not.  What are you talking about?”

Erik is talking to the air again, and then Peter is leaning against the car, this time on ground level, eating a sandwich.  “It’s just that, well, you’re angry at each other.  But you’re both so happy to be together.  Wow, the number of side glances you two keep doing.  He can’t keep his eyes off you!  And you, you keep looking at him like he’s the newest Grateful Dead single.”

Erik tries to take a calming breath, but this kid has been grating on his nerves since they started their mini-roadtrip to the plane. Beast driving, Charles in the passenger’s seat, and Erik in the back with Peter and Logan.  Well, sort of.  Peter kept jumping out of the car and bringing back things he found along the highway, only going silent when he put on his earphones, tilted his head back and listened to his music. Admittedly, the boy was helping keep the heavy silences at bay.  But just how many desserts could someone steal and eat in the span of 100 miles of highway?

“Don’t you think we have better things to talk about right now than your misinterpretation of two people you’ve only just met?”

“Hey!  I’ve spent plenty of time with you two.  Hours.  HOURS.  Do you have any idea how long that is for me?  Plus, what else are we gonna do while waiting out here?”

“I don’t know, maybe be silent.”  Peter stilled for just a second as his headphones tightened around his neck and the car shook slightly.  

“Yeah sure, whatever.”

He disappeared, and the gas station was finally quiet.  Erik let out a breath and put his hand out to touch the hood of the car, his whole body singing.  He could feel the metal beneath his feet and above in the power lines.  The metal in the support beams of the convenience store and of course the metal around Charles, the change he was handing the cashier, the belt buckle, his watch…  

Erik exhaled and flexed his muscles, sensing out the metal as far as he could, to cars driving on the nearby highway and pipes deep underground.  And then Charles was walking toward him, a small brown bag of food - alcohol? - in one hand, his other hand in his pocket.

The two ignored each other as Charles walked past Erik, opened the passenger door and got in.  Erik just barely resisted the urge to open the door for Charles, or slam it behind him.  Then Logan and Beast followed, the man from the future joking about something that left Beast with a smile. They got in the car, and Erik finally followed.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Peter?” Beast asked.  

“He can catch up,” Erik said before Charles could respond.  

“He can indeed.  We need to get to the airfield as soon as possible, Hank.  Go ahead and start the car,” Charles said.  

The car pulled out of the gas station and suddenly Peter was sitting beside Erik, who had somehow ended up with the middle seat again.

“Kid, are you just jumping through the window or opening and closing the door that fast?” Logan asked, lighting a cigar he bought from the convenience store.

“Jumping.  It’s not like it’s hard to match your speed.”

The car ride continued, and this time Peter kept side-eying Erik, who was determined to look anywhere but Charles.  And yet, for a brief second he met Charles’ eyes in the rear view mirror, and they looked away at the same time.

Erik could feel Peter’s whole-body eyeroll.  

Erik tuned out the world and closed his eyes, sensing out the metal as far as he could.  But his attention kept coming back to the car.

He could feel Charles heartbeat from the watch resting against his wrist.   

So many questions.  Erik’s mind raged and he struggled to leave alone the metal cage speeding them along on the road.  When he woke up this morning, he did not expect to be free and, most of all, to see Charles again.  Charles, the fool who loved humans more than his own kind.  Charles, who had hidden away in a mansion as his people died.  Charles, who had never visited him in that damn cage beneath the Pentagon.  Charles, who...

A sharp nudge to the gut jerked his eyes open, and Peter was giving him a look usually reserved for the teen's younger sister.  He shook his head back and forth.  “You’re messing up the alignment of the car!  Let go.”  

Erik released his hold on the metal and tried to calm down.  Serenity was far from his mind.  

No one else in the car said anything.  Peter was suddenly gone again through the window, and back after just a few minutes.  He handed Erik a white envelope.

Erik pulled out the Hallmark card. The front showed a cartoonish watch with the phrase “I thought it was the right time to tell you…”

And in a pointed, jagged handwriting, written:  “Dear Charles, Sorry for being an ass.”

Peter then handed him a small piece of paper folded up.

“What’s that?” Logan asked, but Erik crumpled the paper before the man had a chance to snatch it from his hands, and stuffed the card into his jacket.

“Nothing,” Erik said, glaring at Peter, who gave an encouraging grin back and two thumbs up.

Erik could feel the graphite on the paper.  “Sign your name and give it to him.  He’ll forgive you.  It’s obvious.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [My Mom Once Knew a Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1709048) by [TheGreatCatsby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/pseuds/TheGreatCatsby)




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